In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Melissa Cantor from Penn State University breaks down the science and management of pair housing for dairy calves. She explains the benefits and challenges of early pairing, behavioral concerns, and the latest findings from her team’s recent study. Explore strategies to support calf health and optimize early-life performance. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Pairing calves before 14 days of age supports social facilitation, improving starter intake and adaptation to new diets and environments."

Meet the guest: Dr. Melissa Cantor is an Assistant Professor of Precision Dairy Science at Penn State University. She earned her B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Animal Science from the University of Kentucky, and an M.Sc. in Dairy Science from UW–Madison. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Guelph. Her work focuses on dairy calf nutrition, behavior, and smart management systems.

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What will you learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:22) Introduction
• (03:23) Pair housing benefits
• (05:06) Abnormal behavior
• (07:42) Cross-sucking behavior
• (11:19) Research insights
• (13:33) Study design
• (19:14) Closing thoughts

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